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This morning we touched down in the Netherlands, bright and early at 2:00 AM. Stepping off the airplane I could already tell something was different—the air was cool and refreshing, and there was green as far as the eye could see. I was exhausted, but I was excited the longest leg of our journey was finally over. Schiphol Airport was beautiful. I remember it looking somewhat like a glass castle, through the hazy veil of exhaustion (I did not sleep well).
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Every storefront had a title in a language I’d need to grow accustomed to. There were advertisements sitting atop massive billboards posted just outside the airport exit, designed to catch the attention of tourists looking for things to do. To be honest, my attention was somewhat scattered for the first four or five hours, as I was extremely nauseous getting off the plane. That didn’t go away until dinner. But I do remember the lush shade of green that blanketed every open space. A deep, vibrant, rich green, punctuated with canals and colorful flora. The flowers are so beautiful here, and they seem to marry well into the infrastructure here. The buildings are unique and brilliantly designed. And the BIKES! There were clusters of bikes on every corner, bikers of all shapes and sizes riding to and fro. I didn’t realize just how bicycle-dense the Netherlands were until I arrived. I would also discover that the crosswalk lights here give you only two or three seconds of warning before they switch, so you have to be very mindful of where you step.
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After walking around for some bit and arriving back the hotel, I got some much needed rest before heading to dinner with the group. Dinner was lovely, as well as conversing with Sophia—we were able to learn about Dutch customs and cuisine, and experience new flavors. The portions here are a lot more reasonably sized. Certainly a change from the gargantuan portions typical of American establishments. The focaccia was lakker, as well as the sauce it came with. I’m so glad I went for the Beyond Burger. Oh, and I got a “cool” soda! Backstory: I’m a big beverage person, I love refreshing and unique drinks. I spent a fair amount of time at the Philadelphia Airport trying to find a unique soda that wasn’t name-brand, to no avail. So I was incredibly happy to see a section on the Bar Botanqiue menu devoted entirely to their sodas. Their passionfruit soda was amazing, naturally.
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Afterwards, I split off with two of my friends, Danielle and Jack, to walk around and enjoy the city. We went to the market on impulse, and I found a massive chunk of brie cheese for like, €3.50! In America I could only get half the size for twice the price! I resisted the impulse to buy it (we don’t have fridges in our room, unfortunately) and after taking a look around we left. We decided to head towards the waterfront, commenting on the architecture and general aesthetics of the city. They have a lot of massive, curved buildings in this city, which makes things feel a lot more fun and dynamic. The static, square skyscrapers that characterize most American cities really contribute to the whole concrete jungle vibe. Things feel a lot more open and free here. We stopped for ice cream at a small stand near the pier, and I got a lovely raspberry sorbet before we headed back.
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Today was a pretty productive day! Countdown to day 6, though. I’m really excited to go to the floating farm and try all their cheeses.
Word of the day is oost, meaning east. I tried to pronounce Oosterpark while I was walking back to the hostel and promptly got humbled by a local. I’m learning. I swear.
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That’s all for today, though. I’m going to go to sleep after this.
Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you tomorrow. (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧